Any time you can get out and interact with consumers to draw attention to your business you will reap the benefits by building awareness. If field marketing is outside your comfort zone, try these field marketing ideas to help attract more business.
Business to business marketing, often shortened to B2B, is often experienced out in the field. More than just a way to get your company’s name out into the world, field marketing is all about engaging with your customers and building relationships with them. Once customers see how dependable you are as field marketer they will see you as a source of reliability in their life.
Educating your prospective clients, not only about how great your company is, but how wonderful you are can be an effective field marketing technique. After all, when customers feel like they’re getting a personal touch they are more likely to stick with a company they are using. Below are 5 creative ideas to help you boost your business.
1. Host a Fun Event Out
Whether you take a group of clients to a bowling alley or TopGolf, any networking event is bound to be more successful if there’s an activity involved. Hosting an event allows you an opportunity to spend time face to face with your target audience, which allows for a great opportunity to sell your services/products.
As you engage with them in an activity that isn’t work-driven, you can begin to understand what they are looking for from life and then you can see how your business can fit in with their lifestyle. Events are a great way to make those personal connections with your customers and finding new business contacts as well.
Make sure your events are packed by inviting in creative ways. Don’t just send an email that can be easily overlooked. Consider delivering an invitation personally and perhaps including cookies or bagels along with it. When not only the invitation is interesting, your customers won’t want to miss out on a fun time.
Adults love to mingle with other adults and as your event becomes a way to network with other companies you will also gain insight on their business and how you can best meet their needs. Your customers will be so busy focusing on the fun that they’ll forget they’re being sold something. (Even if that something is you and your company.)
2. Host a Fun Event In
Hosting an event at your office can be an excellent way to gain some insight into what your customers like about your business as well as inviting new people to come to see what you’re all about.
A fun way to accomplish this would be by throwing a carnival in your parking lot. Hosting an event on-site is an easy way to inspire clients to come to you. Parents are always looking for low-cost activities to do as a family, so by hosting their entire family at your business you not only get their foot in the door but you can sell to them too.
Thinking outside the box is vital to field marketing success. You don’t want to do the same thing every other company is doing. Finding a way to bring people to you in a fun way might be a challenge but the results will be worth it. Celebrating your community and showcasing your business as a vital aspect of your neighborhood, can pay off in attracting more clients.
3. Free Sampling
If you’re trying to drum up some excitement there’s no easier way than to offer up a free sample of your product. If you think free samples only work for consumables think again. In today’s age of social media, anything can be given out as a free sample and still seen by your target market.
How you choose to distribute your samples is up to you. Some companies find success doing random giveaways or sending loyal customers boxes of their latest options. Or depending on your business you could also try to get your product added to a subscription box which is another excellent chance to get your company into the mind of interested parties.
As long as free samples work for you and your budget there’s no reason to not occasionally offer up a sample or two. Work with other companies to offer up your products at events as well. Even high-end companies offer freebies! Just like any marketing technique, you are free samples are just another idea to help boost your business into getting the attention it deserves.
4. Ice Cream Truck Takeover
Some businesses have found success in taking over popular summer treat trucks. Who knew that getting your brand into people’s minds in a creative way can be a simple as slapping your logo on an ice cream truck?
When neighborhoods hear the familiar jingle and then find out their cool summer treat is sponsored by your business, you’ll gain the respective potential customers, and the next time they’re shopping for something you offer, they’ll be encouraged to look into you further.
Whether each ice cream comes with a logo napkin or just a friendly smile engaging with customers in their own neighborhoods and parks, it is a great way to meet people where they’re at. If you consider your company or business to appeal to folks of all ages, you need to seek out all the ages, and what better way than with ice cream?
If you don’t want anyone to be left out, consider having popsicles available as well for those who may be allergic to dairy. It may seem like a small thing to you, but for the parents of dairy-free children, your thoughtfulness could be the difference between hiring you or your competitor. A little personal forethought can go a long way in gaining traction in the field.
5. Host a Booth at a Trade Show
Trade shows are the bread and butter of field marketers. When you’re looking to expand your business opportunities a trade show is an easy way to get in front of interested consumers. It may not seem like the most creative option but making sure to hit the important trade shows can make or break a small business.
Your job as a field marketer is to be the voice of the company and whether you have examples of your work available, or even freebies, or giveaways, customers attend trade shows ready to make new business relationships and take a look at what’s available on the market.
When your booth stands out from the crowd, either with your energetic personality or what your company offers you stand to grow your business at a trade show in a way that cold calling can’t. Trade shows are a great way to get more involved and figure out where you stand in the market place as well.
It may not make sense to send someone to every possible trade show, especially if you are a national brand. But when you can narrow your focus down to a specific area where you’d like to see growth then you will be able to seek out specific trade shows more easily. Trade shows are best for b2b companies, but can work for others as well.
Conclusion:
Great field marketing can be done in a number of ways, not just the five that are outlined here. If you have something that works well for you then definitely keep doing it. But don’t let your company become stagnant when there are so many fun and creative ways to boost your business and grow your client base/ Have fun getting your company out there!
